"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched; they must be felt with the heart." — Helen Keller

On July 16, at 9:35 p.m., at age 71, Douglas Eugene Willtrout journeyed home. After living five years with advanced congestive heart failure, his heart had had enough. He was at home, exactly where he wanted to be, surrounded by love until his last breath.

Doug is survived by his wife, Wendy; his daughters, Aspen Raine and Misty Dawn; and his grandchildren, Jade and Anthony. He also leaves behind his older siblings and their spouses, Donna and Tag, and Gene and Shirley; his nieces and nephews and their spouses, Dustin and Teri, Ian and Erika, Michael and Mindy, Amy, Josh and Tricia, Lindsay and Sky, and Trey and Allison; and their children, Shaun, Archer, Destiny, Storm, Lydia Grace, Emma Kate, Lola, Remy, Austin, and Ember.

In addition to his parents, Doug was preceded in death by his youngest sibling, JoAnn Santana.

Doug was born in Houston, Texas, on May 24, 1955, to the late Betty Rae and Thomas Eugene Willtrout. He was one of four children and the youngest boy.

Doug, also known as Cavehippie to some, lived life as a grand adventure. He was a free spirit deeply connected with the natural world. He was most at home sleeping in the forest, hiking mountains, sunning in the desert, riding horses, or fishing and diving in the deep blue. Those closest to him knew he had a special connection with all of God's creatures and understood them well.

He also loved rock and roll, especially AC/DC, Alice Cooper, and Ronnie James Dio. He was a creative soul, always making things with his hands, from architectural signage to Native American-style jewelry. He was willing to help anyone in need and always found a way to make a store clerk or stranger smile. At work and at home, he was always cracking jokes and making us laugh.

He loved his California King snake, Miss Elvis; Red-tail Boa Constrictor, Sassy; Asian Water Monitor, Loki; and, last but definitely not least, his little black cat, Journey, who adopted him. She understood him in more ways than one.

Doug lived life with a fishing pole in his hand, laughter in his heart, and love enough to leave memories that will last a lifetime. Though he has left his earthly body, he is still with us—in our hearts, our smiles, our laughter, our tears, and our joys. He will be forever missed and always remembered.

The service will be livestreamed and can be viewed by clicking on this link:

https://youtube.com/live/5FVkKcoRbXo?feature=share